Opening Night **** (1977, Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, John Cassavetes, Joan Blondell, Paul Stewart, Zohra Lampert)- Classic Movie Review 9089

A long (it runs 144 minutes), personal film requires you to be in touch with writer-director John Cassavetes’s particular style, but the 1977 drama Opening Night is beautifully done all round, extremely appealing and touching. It stars Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, John Cassavetes, Joan Blondell, Paul Stewart and Zohra Lampert. Also, Cassavetes provides cameo spots for old pals, Peter Bogdanovich, Seymour Cassel and Peter Falk.

But it is brava for Gena Rowlands, who is splendid as Myrtle Gordon, an ageing actress devastated when her biggest fan dies in an accident on her opening night, and for trusty old Joan Blondell as Sarah Goode, the play’s sympathetic author.

Also in the cast are Laura Johnson, John Tuell, Ray Powers, John Finnegan, Louise Lewis, Fred Draper, Katherine Cassavetes, Lady Rowlands, Carol Warren, Briana Carver, Angelo Grisanti, Meade Roberts, Eleanor Zee, David Rowlands and Peter Lampert,

Opening Night is directed by John Cassavetes, runs 144 minutes, is made by Faces Distributing Corporation, is released by Faces Distribution (1977) (US) and Miracle Films (1978) (UK), is written by John Cassavetes, is shot in Metrocolor by Al Ruban, is produced by Sam Shaw (executive producer), Al Ruban (producer) and Mike [Michael] Lally (associate producer), is scored by Bo Harwood, and is designed by Bryan Ryman.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9089

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